Preventive Dentistry

Preventive dentistry is the area of dentistry that focuses on those procedures and life practices that help people to prevent the beginning or progression of oral disease Preventive care is a modern approach to dentistry. Preventive dentists and hygienists aim to reduce the amount of dental treatment that you need by working together with you to maintain a healthy mouth. The hope is to avoid the traditional cycle of fillings and extractions. Preventive dentistry can help you to keep your own teeth for a lifetime.

How it works?

Your dentist will assess your teeth and gums and devise an individual plan of action for you. Your smile specialists then work together to give you appropriate advice and help to look after your mouth. They will tell you about and demonstrate the best methods of brushing and flossing to remove the build up of dental plaque. They will advise you about fluoride products and the effect of diet on oral health. If you follow this advice and continue to have regular check-ups with the dentist and visits to the hygienist it should ensure that your mouth stays healthy. Your smile specialists hygienist may also carry out ie scaling and root planing -to remove any build-up of hard tartar.

If your teeth have already been damaged your dentist will devise a treatment plan to repair the damage and will discuss the treatment options with you. In the interests of prevention your dentist may recommend that weakened teeth are repaired with a filling or crown before they break.

The overall aim is to make you "dentally fit" (ie get your mouth healthy) and to keep you that way so that dental problems do not recur in the future. It is not likely that decay or gum disease will be a real problem in a healthy mouth.

Bad Breath Management
Bad breath (halitosis) is a fairly common disorder affecting most of us at some point in life. The foul odor in bad breath is not considered to be a medical disorder unless it is a long term condition (chronic) and posing a problem in our lives. Halitosis may go beyond just a dental hygiene issue and can indicate more serious pathologies.

Any odor is a gas that is detected by the receptors in the nose. Volatile chemicals given off from the source of the odor travel through the air and can diffuse over a wide area which is the reason why bad breath can sometimes be detected from a few feet away.

•Pit and Fissure Sealant
Teeth have natural dips or grooves in them known as pits and fissures. It is all very groovy in one sense but when it comes to keeping your children teeth clean and free of cavities pits and fissures are not groovy at all.

Pits and fissures house bacteria and other substances which can cause tooth decay and these grooves can not always be properly cleaned with a normal toothbrush. The dentists have developed pit and fissure sealants which can fill and seal the grooves your teeth and prevent bacteria getting in. They make teeth easier to clean and reduce the risk of experiencing tooth decay.

Fissure sealants are recommended for filling the adult or primary teeth of children who have a high risk of developing cavities. And even children who brush and floss regularly can be considered high risk depending for example on the amount of fluoride they consume and the shape of their teeth (particularly the groovy parts).

Fluoride treatment
Fluoride is a natural mineral found in food and water which helps to strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque and sugars. If fluoride is lacking from the diet the teeth will be prone to tooth decay and cavities.

Fluoride treatments are offered to children who have a number of cavities or are at high risk of developing cavities. Adults can benefit too. Fluoride treatment is a very simple process administered by the dentist or dental hygienist which helps to prevent tooth decay. Can be linked to Dental Flourosis in Common problems

•Gum Disease
Gum disease also known as periodontal disease is a condition in which the gums deeper supporting tissue and potentially the bone surrounding teeth become infected and inflamed. Gum disease starts with plaque on the teeth a sticky white substance that coats teeth. It is formed when bacteria in the mouth mixes with saliva and residues from starchy foods and sugar in your diet.

If plaque is not properly removed from teeth by brushing and flossing it accumulates and hardens underneath the gumline into tartar. Once tartar builds up it is much more difficult to remove than plaque and usually requires a cleaning at our Office.

Over time it can lead to inflamed gums or gingivitis. This is a mild form of gum disease. One of the most common symptoms is darker red gums that bleed with brushing or flossing. Professional cleaning can reverse gingivitis.

Scaling & Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)
Scaling and Root Planing (aka Deep Cleaning) is a non-surgical periodontal procedure that removes plaque tartar and bacteria from your teeth and gums. We use specialized instruments to perform this procedure under local anesthesia . When pockets which are the spaces between your teeth and gums become deep bad bacteria/plaque and tartar form under your gums and cause periodontal disease/inflammation. These deep pockets are impossible for you to keep clean at home and will progress if not treated.

The main goals of this treatment are to

Remove plaque/bacteria.Remove tartar.Reduce inflammation (bleeding) .Once this procedure is completed, we re-evaluate your gums assess the response of treatment and if further periodontal treatment is needed.